Digital Transformation: Cloud as an Enabler

Digital Transformation: Cloud as an Enabler

By Kevin Fitzpatrick, Managing Director UK and Ireland

We’ve been hearing a lot of talk about ‘digital transformation’ lately. As a phrase that refers to the adoption of digital technology to transform businesses and services, it is no surprise that it has increased in popularity following a year where we’ve all had to move some aspect of our work and lives online.

Of course, in the current climate, large digital transformation projects are not for everyone. But for those companies with the available resources, COVID-19 has been a catalyst for change. Not only has the current situation highlighted the potential for digital initiatives to deliver efficiencies, but it has also forced many organisations to abandon business as usual—lowering barriers to digital change and speeding up innovation.

So, what does successful digital transformation require?

The concept of digital transformation is not new, and a quick search online will pull up a plethora of articles and ‘how-to’ guides. While there are millions of different approaches, there are some commonly agreed critical success factors:

  • An agile, adaptable approach
  • Clear, measurable objectives
  • Widespread access to information across the organisation
  • Analytics that provide feedback on performance

At a glance, these points seem straightforward and achievable. Yet even with a world of experience to draw from, research shows that 70% of large-scale digital transformation projects don’t achieve their stated goals.

So, what is missing?

As mentioned, an organisation that wants to digitally transform requires business processes and applications that are adaptable. They need relevant and accurate information, often in real-time. They need clear objectives and the analytics that monitor them. Yet too often, organisations are missing these fundamental tools—usually as a result of insufficient investment in the information foundation layer.

Cloud is the first step

As the saying goes, ‘you have to walk before you run.’ At FuseForward we view major digital transformation projects as a journey, and a move to the cloud is usually the first step.

The benefits increase as the journey progresses, including improved architecture resilience, costs efficiencies and an increased ability to make use of organisational data.

Getting started on the cloud

Most organisations have migrated some applications and implemented public cloud solutions like Salesforce. The problem is they find it difficult to move on from this initial stage, and struggle to move all organisational applications to the cloud.

The cloud offers businesses strategic value from their technology investments, but with a number of potential risks, a lack of skills and resources, and uncertainty about where to start–many find moving legacy applications to the cloud a daunting task. As a result, many organisations are stalled in their digital transformation journey.

However, there are simple ways to get started on the cloud. Working with a service provider with cloud expertise can address many of the risks and resource issues organisations face when embarking on this journey.

How we can help

Managing a complex application portfolio is difficult enough, driving constant change can be a nightmare. Using a well-worn but accurate analogy—it’s like conducting open-heart surgery on a patient who is still at work.

FuseForward is a one-stop-shop for your digital transformation journey, offering a full spectrum of services, from strategy and architecture, through to operations. Our goal is to make complexity simple with automated IT systems and processes, and we have developed a range of products designed to simplify your journey to the cloud.

If you’re looking to get started on your digital transformation journey with a move to the cloud, get in touch.

For new customers we can offer:

  • Obligation-free initial consultation
  • Low-cost ‘Proof of Concept’ allowing you to test the performance of your application in the cloud.

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